2010/06/04

Common Network Topology


Assalam Anak IT Readers...
There are several types of Network Topology:
(Image from KnowledgeRush.com)

You may not be familiar with some of the topologies above. For this article, I will only briefly explain the common network topologies in bullet points.

Bus Topology
  • An old topology (maybe inda lagi tedapat masa anie)
  • Menggunakan Coaxial Cable (lebih dikenali sebagai Thinnet. Ada jua yang menggunakan Thicknet) with BNC connector
  • Each terminal connects to the continuous cable which connect them all in straight line
  • Each cable end is "terminated" with terminator device which it "absorbs" all the current signal so that it would not bounce back to where the signal came from... *imagine*
  • If something happen to that straight line cable, most certainly it will affect the entire bus network or at very least, having communication problems between workstations

Ring Topology
  • Just like namanya, this network topology looks like a ring or nya urang kitani "membulat" haha
  • Some network professionals says that it is just like a linear topology, it is just that ujungnya bebalik rah the first workstation instead of kana terminated like in bus topology
  • You may call it "Loopology Network" since the signal goes in circle and looping
  • Token Passing method is the method used to transmit the data from a workstation to the next workstation in circle
  • Cable used? Coaxial cable (Thicknet) and ada yang makai Fiber Optic

Star Topology
  • Bintang punya shape where the workstations are not directly connected to each other but through a "special" device or apa nya kitani as "Postmen", makai urang tangah =)
  • This is the most common network in a small Office/Home Local Area Network (LAN). If biskita makai e-speed dirumah, cuba peratikan banar-banar computer biskita connect ke mana... Router? Switch? Yetah namanya "urang tangah" tue... Your other siblings' computers are also connecting to the same "urang tangah" device. Most of us use router since we directly connect to internet through a modem. So imagine if biskita kan transfer lagu arah laptop adi beradi biskita yang lain through "File Sharing", data lagu atue inda directly mengaga arah laptop adi beradi biskita atue but ia mesti melalui "urang tangah" which is router biskita. (unles biskita makai P2P with Crossover Cable)
  • If satu cable inda working, it will not affecting the entire network
  • Uses Cat5/5e/6 cable with RJ45 connector

Mesh Topology
  • Mesh is usually connect to more than one workstation in order to communicate with another workstation
  • One to Many connection?
  • Internet uses this topology
  • If one connection broke down, no problem pasalnya ada another connection still exist =)

Hopefully that will at least help you to understand basic computer networking. If biskita ada kan ditanya, simply send your enquiry here.
Sekian, Wassalam...